Institute for Family Health

Maternal death and serious complications, particularly among Black women and birthing people, are among the most persistent racial health disparities.

While pregnancy and childbirth can be a time of joy, too many women and birthing people of color lack access to empowering, whole-person care that promotes safe and healthy pregnancies. Nearly three out of four pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Primary care offers a critical opportunity to address maternal health disparities and coordinate care before, during, and after pregnancy, but primary care is currently underutilized. In 2025, NYHealth issued an inaugural Request for Proposals (RFP), “Primary Care: Advancing Maternal Health Equity Through Primary and Preventive Care,” to support projects that identify racial disparities in maternal health care and outcomes, use primary and preventive care to reduce those disparities, and measure progress to improve racial health equity. NYHealth awarded the Institute for Family Health (IFH) a grant to participate in this initiative. 

Under this initiative, IFH will develop and implement an innovative risk assessment tool to improve identification of prenatal patients at risk for developing hypertensive disorders that contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality. By incorporating environmental and socioeconomic data into patient electronic health records, the tool will enhance risk classification and enable timely, low-cost interventions in primary care before emergencies occur. Over a two-year period, IFH will automate data integration, train providers, and track outcomes for more than 650 prenatal patients, while collaborating with community and national partners to promote dissemination. IFH will create a sustainable, replicable model that can be shared throughout New York State and nationwide, informing both clinical practice and maternal health policy.  

See full list of grantees working towards advancing maternal health equity through primary and preventive care.